PodcastsArtsIf Books Could Kill

If Books Could Kill

Michael Hobbes & Peter Shamshiri
If Books Could Kill
Latest episode

74 episodes

  • If Books Could Kill

    CROSSOVER EVENT: Tim Ferriss’s "The 4-Hour Body"

    16/04/2026 | 1h 8 mins.
    Peter went on Mike's other show, Maintenance Phase, to revisit a biohacking diet book for the boys.
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    The 4-Hour Body
    Does Glycemic Index Matter for Weight Loss? An Examination of the Evidence 
    New! Improved! Shape Up Your Life! 
    The 4-Hour Body: The Real App You Are Working On Is An App Called Yourself
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
  • If Books Could Kill

    Bullshit Jobs

    05/03/2026 | 1h
    Peter and Michael discuss "Bullshit Jobs" by anarchist anthropologist David Graeber. The result: two professional podcasters debating which jobs are real and which jobs are fake.
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant
    37% of British workers think their jobs are meaningless
    Average Annual Hours Worked by Persons Engaged for United States
    The times they are not changin’: Days and hours of work in Old and New Worlds, 1870–2000
    ‘Bullshit’ After All? Why People Consider Their Jobs Socially Useless
    Alienation Is Not ‘Bullshit’: An Empirical Critique of Graeber’s Theory of BS Jobs
    Many people feel they work in pointless ‘bullshit’ jobs, research confirms
    The Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure 
    Study: Leisure Time Declines
    USA Consumption as percent of GDP
    The Significance of Task Significance: Job Performance Effects, Relational Mechanisms, and Boundary Conditions
    Task significance and meaningful work: A longitudinal study
    Americans’ job satisfaction in 2024
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
  • If Books Could Kill

    The Millionaire Next Door

    05/02/2026 | 1h 11 mins.
    It turns out that the key to wealth is buying the right kind of watch, marrying the right kind of wife and being the right kind of white.
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    Uneasy Street
    A Century of Wealth In America
    Family, Education, and Sources of Wealth among the Richest Americans, 1982–2012
    Wealth Elite Moralities
    The insane growth of America’s millionaire class
    The Extraordinary Rise In The Wealth Of Older American Households
    Planning & Progress Study 2025
    Striking Out on Their Own: The Self-Employed in Bankruptcy
    How Many Households Meet The Net Worth Guidelines Of The Millionaire Next Door?
    Paying Tribute to Thomas Stanley and His ‘Millionaire Next Door’
    Pity the Billionaires
    What Rich Women Want
    The deserving or undeserving rich?
    The Evolution of Top Incomes
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!
  • If Books Could Kill

    The Worst Takes of 2025 [TEASER]

    29/12/2025 | 50 mins.
    The boys catalog the definitive worst takes of the year, from the pundits who misunderstood our political moment to a guy who wants to have sex with a computer.
    To hear the rest of the episode, support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/IfBooksPod
  • If Books Could Kill

    Elon Musk Part 2

    18/12/2025 | 1h 31 mins.
    The boys continue their discussion of Walter Isaacson's "Elon Musk." This is the part where Elon loses his mind. 
    Where to find us: 
    Our Patreon
    Our merch!
    Peter's newsletter
    Peter's other podcast, 5-4
    Mike's other podcast, Maintenance Phase
    Sources:
    From self-proclaimed ‘socialist’ to Team Trump and DeSantis: Elon Musk’s curious politics revealed  
    The Quiet Political Rise of David Sacks, Silicon Valley’s Prophet of Urban Doom
    Elon Musk biographer admits suggestion SpaceX head blocked Ukraine drone attack was wrong 
    Elon Musk's Daughter on Dad's Biography: 'Sad Excuse for a Puff Piece'
    Character Limit
    Twitter fulfilling more government censorship requests under Musk 
    Elon Musk booed for nearly 5 minutes straight at Dave Chappelle show in San Francisco 
    New CNN Chief Trying to Please GOP Elite 
    Research finds more than 14 million preventable deaths by 2030 if USAID defunding continues, including more than 4 million children under five
    What the data says about Social Security 
    Trump Administration, DOGE Activities Risk SSA Operations and Security of Personal Data
    Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

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About If Books Could Kill

The airport bestsellers that captured our hearts and ruined our minds
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